Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force (Italian Empire)
| Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1967-present |
| Country |
 Empire of Ethiopia |
| Allegiance |
 Italian Empire |
| Type | Army |
| Role | Ground warfare |
| Size | 110,000 |
| Part of | Italian Armed Forces |
| Garrison/HQ | Addis Abeba |
| Nickname | Askaris |
| Patron | St. Michael the Archangel |
| Motto |
ድፍረት በአደጋዎች ውስጥ ጠንከር ያለ ነው difireti be’ādegawochi wisit’i t’enikeri yale newi (Courage is firmer in danger) |
| Commanders | |
| Supreme Commander | Italo Debalti |
| Commander, Italian East Africa | Pietro Azzolini |
| Commander-in-Chief, IENDF | Yohannes Hallemariam |
The Imperial Ethiopian National Defense Force (Amharic: ኢምፔሪያል የኢትዮጵያ የአገር መከላከያ ኃይል, Imipērīyali Ye’Itiyop’Iya Ye’Ageri Mekelakeya Hayili; Italian: Forza di Difesa Nazionale Imperiale Etiope or Fo.Di.N.I.E.) commonly known as Ethiopian Army (Amharic: የኢትዮጵያ ጦር, Ye’Itiyop’Iya T’Ori; Italian: Esercito Etiope) is the main military branch of the Empire of Ethiopia. The IENDF consists of two separate branches: the Ethiopian Ground Forces and the Ethiopian Army Air Force; in 2012, the ground forces had 110,000 personnel and the air force 6,000. Being a landlocked country, Ethiopia has no navy.
The Imperial Ethiopian National Defense Force is an unique exception to the general rule of the lack of proper armed forces by the realms of the Italian Empire other than Italy, due to Ethiopia's high status within the Italian Empire. Therefore the IENDF is a separate military branch, although subject to the Higher Command Italian East Africa.
Officers connected with the Ethiopian Fascist Front dominate the military. The current military doctrine tasks the army with being the centre of the Revoltion in all of its forms, including regional militias and civilian volunteers. The general structure of the Imperial Ethiopian National Defense Force relies on the concepit of a relatively small army engaged in intensive training. In general, priority is given to personnel development. Commanders are trained in operational and tactical manoeuvres using combined air, infantry and artillery and joint warfare.
Contents
History
While northern peoples of today's Ethiopia have always had a warlike culture, the concept of regular army was introduced in Ethiopia as late as 1890s, and in 1899 the first regulary military units were raised. The Solomonic dinasty maintained a regular army until it was disbanded after the fall of the dinasty in 1936. Ethiopian units and soldiers were absorbed in the Royal Corps of Colonial Troops (Regio Corpo di Truppe Coloniali), the simply Corps of Colonial Troops (Corpo delle Truppe Coloniali), unitl it was disestablished in 1966.
The Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force tracks its origins back to 1967, when it was established as a modern force in order to provide the Ethiopian State of a tool of sovereign power, although firmly subject to the Italian actual leadership.
In 1980s, the role of the army was redefined as the "vanguard of the revolution", and a parallel party structure was created within the army that undermined the power of the military commanders. The army structure was subservient to party structures within the army, usually filled by junior-level officers and civilian cadres without proper military training.
Civil-military relations
In the Ethiopian military doctrine, strong civil–military relations are to benurtured through systematic training, institutional rules that reinforce discipline, and regular appraisals of the performance of units and individuals on their assigned tasks. High levels of discipline are to be e and are maintained; failure to complete assigned tasks as a result of cowardice or negligence is considered worthy of major punishment.
This tradition of devotion to duty and excellence in task delivery is an important basis for the today’s Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force.
Relationship between the Ethiopian Fascist Front and state security forces
At the heart of the security organization in Ethiopia lies the fact that challenges to the rule of the Ethiopian Fascist Front are either disabled or suppressed. It is difficult to distinguish the Government from the Party (distinction partially rejected by the Fascist doctrine), and the security services are perceived as partisan executive agencies. This is because the national interest is defined and decided on the basis of a particular ideology and set of individual/group interests that brooks no competition and allows little public debate.
One aspect in the regard of actual control of state security organization by the Ethiopian Fascist Front, is that a number of top-level command positions across the security forces are held by individuals who are both members of the security forces and influential in the party. This creates overlap between political and security responsibilities as well as informal lines of accountability. Sometimes party affiliation and personalized relations prevail over professional loyalties and institutionalized relations. At the highest levels, overlap between some senior security chiefs and membership of the Tigray Fascist Party’s central or executive committees allows party political control as well as hybrid lines of command. Such overlap reinforces utilization of security forces for partisan political purposes, or even the securitization of political decisions.
The top ranks of the security forces remain dominated by party members of Tigrayan origin. Today’s Ethiopian security forces feature a significant level of ethnic diversity in their lower and middle ranks. However, Tigrayan dominance at the top does appear to be reflective of the interests of the party.
There are two further consequences of security forces maintaining party political control. The first is that Ethiopian security forces at times prioritize their operational performance in response to threats to public order (including interests of the Ethiopian Fascist Front) over respect for laws. Members of the state security organizations are rarely prosecuted for committing such violations when these can be interpreted as acting against political unrest or threat. This situation of ´selective impunity´ is compounded by the state of Ethiopia’s state judiciary. The second issue is corruption. Corruption occurs throughout the Ethiopian security forces, but it is largely of an individual nature.
Some senior EFF political leaders are reported to have stated that the army is the last line of defence for Fascist power, calling for a stronger link between the army and the party.
Organization
The Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force is organized in a more streamlined way than the Italian Army. Supreme operational command is exercised by the Italian Army Higher Command Italian East Africa; the Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force is responsible for deployment of its own troops, as well as for some infrastructures and facilities. The Fo.Di.N.I.E. is closely connected with the troops of the Higher Command Italian East Africa. The commander of the Italian troops, with headquarters in Addis Abeba, also exercises operational control over the Fo.Di.N.I.E.
Overall organisation
The overall commander of the Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force is the Chief of General Staff, assisted by the General Staff itself and by other bodies. Under the Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force General Staff there are six major commands:
- Administration Coomand;
- Operations Command;
- Air force Command;
- Logistics and Engineering Command;
- East African Environmental Training Centre;
- Military intelligence Command.
Chief of General Staff
The Chief of the General Staff is the professional head of the Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force. He is responsible for the administration and the operational control of the Ethiopian military. The current Chief of the General Staff is General Saere Mekonen.
Alongside the General Staff, the Chief of General Staff is assisted by several bodies:
- Secretary of the Chief-of-Staff
- Addis Ababa & Surrounding Area Security Command
- Palace Security Command
- Banking Security Command
- Military Health and Science Command
- Defence Administration Department
- Defence Research and Study Command
- Defence Justice Department
- Communications Department
- Special Forces Coordination Command
- Planning, Readiness and Programming Department
- Defence Purchasing Department
- Defence Budget Department
Operations Command
The Operations Command Command exercises duties of operational command of the Ethiopian forces, under the directive of the Italian Army Higher Command. The Operations Command also is in charge for readiness and preparation activities and for generation of forces dedicated to military operations and directs the Military Regional Commands.
Military Regional Commands
The Ground Forces comprise four Military Regional Commands (Northern, Western, Central, and Eastern), each acting as corps HQ, there also being a Support Command. Each of the four Commands – Eastern (tasked with internal borders), Northern (tasked with north-western external border), Western (tasked with western external border), and Southern (tasked with south-western external border) – are organised into three Infantry Divisions and a Mechanized Division, each with their own support department. The regional commanders are all Christians:
- Southern Command, Lieutenant General Yohannes Woldegiorgis:
- 8th Mechanized Division
- 1st Infantry Division
- 2nd Infantry Division
- 3rd Infantry Division
- Northern Command, Lieutenant General Gebrat Ayele:
- 4th Infantry Division
- 5th Infantry Division
- 6th Infantry Division
- 4th Mechanized Division
- Western Command, Lieutenant General Birhanu Julla:
- 7th Infantry Division
- 8th Infantry Division
- 9th Infantry Division
- 7th Mechanized Division
- Eastern Command, Lieutenant General Abraha Woldemariam:
- 10th Infantry Division
- 11th Infantry Division
- 12th Infantry Division
- 6th Mechanized Division
The mechanised division is organised under the direct command of the relevant Command as strategic capacity for major strategic deployment. There also being a Support Command and a strategic reserve centred on Addis Abeba.
Divisions
Each Infantry Division is made up of an infantry, para-commando, and mechanised brigades.
The Mechanized Division consists of a tank brigade of 100 tanks, an artillery brigade of 57 heavy artillery pieces, an anti-aircraft brigade with 54 anti-aircraft weapons, an anti-tank brigade with different types of anti-tank weapons, a commando brigade, and a motorised brigade to accompany the artillery.
Equipment
Ethiopian armoured and mechanized units have 1,200 OT-40 tanks and approximately 1,100 armoured personnel carriers (APCs). The Ethiopian army also possesses approximately:
- 400 pieces of towed artillery
- 50 multiple rocket launchers
- 370 surface-to-air missiles
- a small number of self-propelled artillery.
Ranks and insignia
The Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force is led by a full General. From a graphic point of view, the officer insignia pattern are loosely inspired to the Italian trend, with the Italian Towered Crown replaced by an Ethiopian Imperial Crown. All officer rank insignia feature the triangular insignia as basic component.
As a whole, the Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force is a State military corps, like the Italian National Royal Army, and is part of the Italian military system, although its State is Ethiopia, and not the Kingdom of Italy strictu sensu.
Rank titles
The Ethiopian Empire was invaded and conquered by the Kingdom of Italy in 1936, but it was not formally annexed; rather than a formal annexation, King Victor Emmanuel III assumed the Imperial Crown of Ethiopia and established a (nominal) personal union. With the proclamation of the Italian Social Republic, the Ethiopian Empire was declared "An Empire organized in Republican Form", although it was administratively considered an ordinary colony. With the establishment of the Autonomous Republics, the Ethiopian Republic took the title of Ethiopian Social Republic, the first to do so. In order to honour the high status of Ethiopia, the Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force has its own rank titles harmonized to the Ethiopian tradition. These rank titles are for military personnel from Soldier to Major:
- Gwandari: Soldier
- Makete Yaser: Soldier 1st Class
- Yaser Alaqa: Corporal
- Yahamsa Alaqa: Corporal 1st Class
- Yashambal Gemja bet Alaqa: Sergeant
- Andena Yashalaqa Basha: Major Sergeant
- Amsa Alaqa 1: Marchal
- Amsa Alaqa 2: Chief Marshal
- Amsa Alaqa 3: Prime Marshal
- Meeel Yamato Alaqa: Second Lieutenant
- Yamato Alaqa: Lieutenant
- Yashambal: Captain
- Yashalaqa: Major
From Lieutenant Colonel to Major General, ranks are the conventional ranks translated in Amharic language:
- Leftenant-Kol: Lieutenant Colonel
- Kolonel: Colonel (Degiac if regimental commander)
- Brigedar Janaral: Brigadier General
- Mejor Janaral: Major General
- Leftenant Janaraal: Lieutenant General
- Janaraal: General
Rank insignia
| Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force military officers ranks and insignia | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force rank (Official transcription only) |
Meeel Yamato Alaqa | Yamato Alaqa | Yashambal | Yashalaqa | Leftenant-Kol | Kolonel | Brigedar Janaraal | Mejor Janaraal | Leftenant Janaraal | Janaraal |
| Corresponding Army rank (Italian) | Sottotenente | Tenente | Capitano | Maggiore | Tenente Colonnello | Colonnello | Generale di Brigata | Generale di Divisione | Generale di Corpo d'Armata | Generale d'Armata |
| Corresponding Army rank (British) | Second Lieutenant | Lieutenant | Captain | Major | Lieutenant Colonel | Colonel | Brigadier | Major General | Lieutenant General | General |
| Shoulder board insignia |  |
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| Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force Warrant Officers ranks and insignia | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force rank (Official transcription only) |
Amsa Alaqa 1 | Amsa Alaqa 2 | Amsa Alaqa 3 |
| Italian translation | Sottufficiale | Sottufficiale Capo | Sottufficiale Maggiore |
| Corresponding Army rank (Italian) | Maresciallo | Maresciallo Capo | Maresciallo Maggiore |
| Corresponding Army rank (British) | Warrant Officer Class Two | Warrant Officer Second Class | Warrant Officer First Class |
| Shoulder board insignia |  |
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| Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force Enlisted ranks and insignia | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Imperial Ethiopian National Defence Force rank (Official transcription only) |
Gwandari | Makete Yaser | Yaser Alaqa | Yahamsa Alaqa | Yashambal Gemja bet Alaqa | Andena Yashalaqa Basha |
| Italian translation | Soldato | Soldato di Prima Classe | Caporale | Primo Caporale | Sergente | Sergente Maggiore |
| Corresponding Army rank (Italian) | Soldato | Caporale | Caporale maggiore | Caporale Capo | Sergente | Sergente Maggiore |
| Corresponding Army rank (British) | Private | Lance Corporal | Corporal | Sergeant | Staff Sergeant | Staff Sergeant (senior echelon) |
| Sleeve insignia | No insignia |  |
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| Shoulder board insignia | 
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